Mandala Magic TIBET CHINA Tour

	DAY 1	Proposed departure date: May 8^th 2008 Please note that this is a flexible itinerary and may be subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances, cancellations, road damage or severe weather conditions. We are hoping to get the best of the religious festivals at the time of Sakadawa. COST: 18 Day CENTRAL TIBET VIA CHINA TOUR A$ 5,850 INCLUDES: Return international air-flights Air flight from Chengdu to Lhasa Train – China to Tibet, 2 days or 46 hours All transfers to and from hotels. Breakfast daily – set, basic breakfast. Some evening meals Taxis to and from sights. A local English speaking guide as required. Jeep or bus to Lake Nam Tso and other Monasteries. Entrance fees to monasteries, temples & monuments as per itinerary. Accommodation on twin share basis. Chinese visa/Tibet travel permit/other permits as required for certain areas $50 donation to those in need N.B. You will need a comprehensive travel insurance aprox $200 extra this will need to suit your individual needs – age, health etc. We can arrange this for you. Prices are subject to change according to flight availability, taxes and surcharges. ASSUMPTION OF RISK : Mandala magic will always make the utmost effort to ensure that you have a memorable and pleasant trip. However, Tibet tours are strictly conducted under the authority of the Tibet Tourist bureau, China. We cannot be held responsible for any changes in itinerary or cancellation of programs/flights beyond our control. Extra costs may be incurred caused by unavoidable circumstances – road blockages due to forces of nature such as landslides, floods or snow or local unrest and road-works. Participants must agree to assume all risks and additional costs associated with the journey and agree that no liability will attached to the organizers or agents of this tour for loss of any kind. Contact A free information evening will be arranged and you will be given more details of your trip – health, money, food etc. Travel kits are given out. *Your Guides -* Gary and Karen design unique small group tours through northern India, Nepal and Tibet. Whether you wish to travel as a family, with a group of friends or with a special interest group they will accommodate your needs to create a memorable holiday experience for you. Both are experienced travellers and tour leaders who not only design these tours but travel with you. They have lived, studied and worked in India for years and have a hands on knowledge and a love for this incredible country. Karen and Gary offer a ‘real experience’, something that touches the heart of this special part of the world. The Kumbum, Tibet
	Depart Melbourne for Bangkok, Thailand.
	DAY 2
	CHENGDU: Arrive Chengdu with night departure to Lhasa .
	DAY 3
	Lhasa: Arrive Gongaar Airport and travel by bus - about an hour through the new tunnel that goes through the base of a mountain to Lhasa. Settle into Hotel and acclimatize to the altitude.
	DAY 4
	Walking tour of the Bharkor. Lhasa means, ‘land of the Gods’, in Tibetan. At 11,850 ft it is the capital of Tibet and lies on the north bank of the Kyichu River with a history of 1300years. It has been Tibet’s center of economy, politics, culture and religion and home to the many of the Dalai Lamas. Lhasa is a fast growing modern Chinese/Tibetan city with ancient and modern parts, lots of shopping, restaurants, the famous Potala Palace and the Jokhang Temple. There are some lovely walks and great views in this interesting, culture packed city. Here you can see that the absolute faith in Tibetan Buddhism - an integral part of the character of the Tibetan people. Visit the Jokhang Temple, situated in the old part of Lhasa called, the Barkhor and was built in the mid 7th century AD. It was extended and added to by successive rulers to become a huge architectural complex. This is Tibet’s spiritual heart or center and the holiest destination for Tibetan Buddhist pilgrims. The atmosphere within is amazing. An evening walk with pilgrims and devotees doing ‘Kora’ around the Jokhang Temple is a special and unforgettable experience. The temple itself has fine examples of Newari, Indian and Tibetan art, and statues. There is a fine statue of Sakyamuni Buddha (sitting) when he was 12 years old. Most of the holy temples retain the magic and mysticism of Buddhist practices and worship. Sightseeing tour of Sera Monastery. Sera means ‘Hailstone’ in Tibet. Set at the foot of Wudu Hill 3 kms to the north of Lhasa it is comprised of the great sutra chanting hall and the college. Sera was founded in 1419 by Jamchen Choje, a disciple of Tsongkarpa, the founder of the Gelugpa Sect.
	DAY 5
	LHASA: Morning sight seeing tour of the Potala Palace – a spectacular sight that sits on top of Red Hill overlooking the square in Lhasa. This majestic structure took 50 years to complete and was originally started by the Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo after his marriage to Princess Wencheng of the Tang Court. In the mid 17th century it was rebuilt by the 5th Dalai Lama to become the Winter Palace and a place for worship and meditation. Divided into two sections – red and white the Potala has 13 stories and is built from stone, mud and timber.
	DAY 6
	LHASA: Visit Norbulinka the summer Palace of the Dalai Lama about 3kms. From the Potala. JEEP TOUR
Tibet tour – Monks performing a Buddhist ritual in the assembly hall of Ganden Monastery, Tibet.	DAY 7
	LHATSE – XIGATSE: Depart for Gyantse on the northern bank of the Nyang Chu river. In the 15th century it served as the capitol of this region. Visit Phalkor Monastery a center for 3 different sects of Buddhism – Gelugpa, Sakyapa and Bhuton. Climb the Khumbum Stupa built around 1400. It is the 2nd largest stupa in the world (9 stories high) and shows fine examples of Newari, Tibetan and Nepalese artistry. It is honeycombed with 77 chapels – superb wall paintings and many statues. It has 100,000 images and is thus called the, ‘100,000 image Pogoda’ - Khumbum. Circumambulate to the top with magnificent views of the Gyantse and the nearby fort ruins. Depart for Xigatse (Shigatse) the second largest city in Tibet (once the capitol) and the seat of the Panchen Lama. Tashilumpo is the huge monastery overlooking the town. Overnight stay in Hotel.
Potala Palace, Lhasa, Tibet. Top of Drepung Monastery. Tibet.	DAY 8
	XIGATSE: Morning visit to Tashlumpo Monastery exploring the different chapels. Tashilumpo is the biggest Gelugpa monastry in the Tsang region of Tibet and was founded by Gedrun Drup (first Dalai Lama) a disciple of Tsong Karpa, the founder of the Gelugpa sect. Built in 1447 and expanded by each successive Panchen Lama. Tashilumpo houses the huge golden statue of the Maitreya Buddha, erected by the 9th Panchen Lama in 1914. It took four years to build this 26m high statue made of 275 kilos of gold and precious gems such as turquoise, pearls, amber and coral. In another chapel is the 4th Panchen Lama’s funeral stupa , built in 1662 standing 11 meters high and covered in solid silver and gold. Depart for Yangpachen heading to Nam tso – the sacred lake. We stop to bathe in the (concreted) hot springs at Yangpanchen. Certain springs are said to have healing properties. We continue on our journey via Tsurphu Monastery the seat of the Karmarpa or black hats and hopefully catch some ritual cham dancing. This monastery is one of the larger ones and has some interesting history. Return to our hotel in Lhasa.
	DAY 9
	TASHI DOR MONASTERY AND NAM TSO LAKE: We tour the U Province, which is the central region of Tibet. Our destination is Tashi Dor Monastery which lies on a hammerhead of land that juts into the S.E. border of Nam-tso Lake near the border of Amdo. The stunning, turquoise, high altitude salt lake is ringed with 7000m high snowy mountain peaks! Enjoy the magnificent scenery. This lake is sacred to the Tibetans. Here one can see otherwise inaccessible nomads in their round tents and glimpse nomadic life. *We stay overnight in very basic, simple Tibetan accommodation possibly tents. This part of our adventure is not frequented enough by tourists to have big hotels and all the modern conveniences.
Tibetan woman – Tingri village, Tibet Monks blowing gatlings at the Lama dancing.	DAY 10
	RETING MONASTERY: On our journey to the lake we detour to remote Reting Monastery - elevation 4,100 meters - where the Dalai Lama has stated he will reside should he ever return to Tibet. Dating back to 1056 it is associated with Atisha. See brightly painted ritual masks and ornate costumes worn during cham dancing. Walk the kora path (1 hour) through juniper forest said to have sprouted from the hairs of Atisha. Pass rock carvings and chortens and a durtro or sky burial site. This burial site is still used and if we should chance a burial please do not take photos. Continue on to Tasho Dor Monastery to do the Kora or ritual walk around the monastery to view some very interesting places. Here between the rocks Tibetans squeeze through to determine the amount of bad Karma they have. They drink cleansing water that drips from the rocky roof and are known to eat ‘holy dirt’. Pilgrims also test their merit by attempting to place their fingers (eyes closed) in holes in the rock faces.
	DAY 11
	LHASA: Day to self or visit to Drolma Lhakung Monastery one the very few monasteries spared during the cultural revolution due to a plea from the Bangladeshi people to preserve it. Inside are many relics from Atisha the man who took Buddhism from India to Tibet. There are also 21 life sized statues of different Taras here. This small monastery is not frequented by tourists as much and yet has some very precious Buddhist relics. The monks here are strict vegetarians and perform recitations to Tara 2 to 3 times a day. Pass the famous rock carving of Shakyamuni Buddha (said to have self emanated) dating back to the times of Atisha.
	DAY 12
	LHASA: This is the day of Saka Dawa – the full moon and an auspicious day in the Tibetan year. Enjoy the ritual practices on this sacred day. Activities to be announced.
	DAY 13 - 15
	TRAIN FROM LHASA TO CHENGDU: Embark about 1045 am settle in and enjoy this amazing train journey through the highest mountain range in the world. Travel through the wilderness of Tibet, across the Himalayan plateaus for 46 hours. We sleep on this comfortable train which has its own dining car. The views are superb. This incredible feat of engineering – a train that connects China with Tibet - has not been open a year yet. It crosses the highest mountain range in the world.
	DAY 16
	Overnight stay in Chengdu to connect with our flight to Bangkok depending on flight connections.
	DAY 17 - 18
	Two Days in Bangkok. Take a day tour to ride an elephant, or go shopping – some of the best bargains in Asia! Markets galore!! Chill out in a comfortable Hotel and enjoy some delicious cuisine while you absorb your Tibet experience. Return flight to Melbourne.